On his book On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done
Cover Interview of December 16, 2020
Lastly
Cognitive control is central to our lives, but there is
little broad understanding of the science behind it. I hope that readers will
be introduced to something they didn’t know before and will gain a better
understanding of this core but unfamiliar cognitive function. Though On Task
is not strictly a self-help book, readers may also be able to use this
knowledge to help cognitive control in their own lives. Cognitive control is within
our control, so to speak, and we can structure our lives and environment to
help our cognitive control system.
Further, there is a lot of misinformation out there about
concepts like executive function and brain structures like the prefrontal
cortex. I commonly see claims being made about executive function that are not
well grounded in scientific evidence, particularly among groups known to need
aid with their executive function, like children or older adults. This has
resulted in confusions and some widely held misconceptions.
Moreover, there are also a number of widely marketed
cognitive training interventions that claim to improve cognitive control or
executive function. I treat that topic directly in the book and suggest to readers
ways that they can evaluate such claims for themselves.
Having a firmer grasp of the science may help readers
navigate these topics better when they encounter them in their everyday lives. More
generally, this book presents a story about how scientists approach a
perplexing scientific problem. I hope reading that captivating tale will
contribute to promoting curiosity and an appreciation of science in the broader
public.
[T]he Holocaust transformed our whole way of thinking about war and heroism. War is no longer a proving ground for heroism in the same way it used to be. Instead, war now is something that we must avoid at all costs—because genocides often take place under the cover of war. We are no longer all potential soldiers (though we are that too), but we are all potential victims of the traumas war creates. This, at least, is one important development in the way Western populations envision war, even if it does not always predominate in the thinking of our political leaders.Carolyn J. Dean, Interview of February 01, 2011
The dominant premise in evolution and economics is that a person is being loyal to natural law if he or she attends to self’s interest and welfare before being concerned with the needs and demands of family or community. The public does not realize that this statement is not an established scientific principle but an ethical preference. Nonetheless, this belief has created a moral confusion among North Americans and Europeans because the evolution of our species was accompanied by the disposition to worry about kin and the collectives to which one belongs.Jerome Kagan, Interview of September 17, 2009
Lastly
Cognitive control is central to our lives, but there is little broad understanding of the science behind it. I hope that readers will be introduced to something they didn’t know before and will gain a better understanding of this core but unfamiliar cognitive function. Though On Task is not strictly a self-help book, readers may also be able to use this knowledge to help cognitive control in their own lives. Cognitive control is within our control, so to speak, and we can structure our lives and environment to help our cognitive control system.
Further, there is a lot of misinformation out there about concepts like executive function and brain structures like the prefrontal cortex. I commonly see claims being made about executive function that are not well grounded in scientific evidence, particularly among groups known to need aid with their executive function, like children or older adults. This has resulted in confusions and some widely held misconceptions.
Moreover, there are also a number of widely marketed cognitive training interventions that claim to improve cognitive control or executive function. I treat that topic directly in the book and suggest to readers ways that they can evaluate such claims for themselves.
Having a firmer grasp of the science may help readers navigate these topics better when they encounter them in their everyday lives. More generally, this book presents a story about how scientists approach a perplexing scientific problem. I hope reading that captivating tale will contribute to promoting curiosity and an appreciation of science in the broader public.